Rudolph Day - Budget

Once again it's time for Rudolph Day. There are a lot of different aspects to having a successful Christmas, but one of the most important is setting a budget. I know it's not very glamorous, but no one wants to be depressed in January when the bills come in. There's a lot to be said for planning ahead and living within your means. After all, if you search for "my best Christmas memories" the majority of the stories will be about the spirit of the season, of friends and family and relationships and service, not about material gifts and money.

We set up a fairly unique family budget, for both Christmas and birthday gift giving, and I figured it was time to share it. When we got married we were full-time students with extremely limited income, yet we still wanted to give gifts to our loved ones. So we came up with a formula that worked for us then and was meant to grow with us as our family and income grew.

I had it all explained, but Blogger ate it, and now it's late and I'm tired. Maybe someday soon I'll try again to explain it. [I finally did - here it is.]  In the meantime, just know that it's never too early to come up with your own Christmas budget. Here's a form from a site that I've found helpful in the past.

Have fun enjoying your summer, no matter how hot and humid it is, by dreaming of, and planning for, a wonderful Christmas in just a few months!